When it comes to the amount of money changing hands, food and alcohol consumption, frolicing and twice-a-year church going, Christmas is in the top two pagan holidays, the other one being Easter when the church pays homage to the queen of harlots, Biblically known as Ishtar–the wife of Baal and mother of Tammuz the sun god.  More on this “lady” in a few months.

Did you ever wonder why neither Jesus nor His apostles celebrated His birthday?  Nor is it mentioned in the Holy Scriptures.  God’s people do not celebrate birthdays, but rather death days, as God commands us to do.  The Holy Day commemorating Christ’s death is called Passover which His people observe each spring.

Relative to December 25th and the supposed birth of Christ, I find it interesting that no less than seven heathen gods celebrate their birthdays or celebration days on that same date.  This makes Jesus just another god in the eyes of the world, including the church world.

When confronted with Biblical information relative to Christmas, the most often rationale for disobeying God is: “I do it to honor and worship Jesus.”  In other words, intent is more important than obedience when it comes to pleasing God.  So why did Jesus not tell the prostitute to continue selling her body but to give the priests 10% of her earnings?  Instead, He told her to: “Go and SIN NO MORE” (Jn. 8:11).  Why did God prompt the Apostle Paul to write that the one who steals should “steal no more” (Eph. 4:28)?  Notice that he did not tell him to continue in his thieving ways and remember to tithe on his earnings.  It isn’t man’s intent that matters; God condemns sin, including all heathen holidays.  Period.

So what does the Almighty say about the observance of Christmas, which means “Christ death.”  I have a doctoral  degree and I can’t figure that out.  In Jeremiah 10 God tells ancient Israel and the modern church (“the Israel of God”–Gal. 1:2; 6:16) to: “Do not learn the ways of the heathen … for the customs of the people are vain, for one cuts a tree out of the forest with an axe and decks it with silver and gold and stands it up with hammer and nails” (vss 2-5).  God calls people who use decorated trees in worship of Him “heathen.”  In verse eight He calls such practices  “doctrines of vanities.”  Such heathen customs as Christmas, New Years, Valentine’s Day, Easter and Halloween are abominations in His eyes.  Man’s view of them is irrelevant, even if he attaches the Lord’s name to them.  He will not accept vain worship even if it is intended to be in His honor.

In fact, He tells us that He HATES SUCH RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES.  In Deuteronomy 5:8 and 9 God tells us that those who reject His Words concerning the use of inanimate objects (trees, ornaments, crosses, fish symbols, pictures, statues, beads, etc.) in their worship of him are proving that they HATE HIM.  Then in Amos 5:25 He says that He HATES THE WORSHIP OF THOSE WHO REJECT HIS WORDS.  The irony in the Amos passage is that HE HATES THE VERY THINGS HE COMMANDS US TO DO–congregate, preach, sing, pray, etc.  Why?  Because people do those things while disobeying other commandments.  In Luke 10:16 Jesus states that those who refuse to believe and obey His Words DESPISE BOTH HIM AND HIS FATHER.  Remember that God’s messages to and dealings with ancient Israel were recorded and preserved to be used for instructing those in the New Testament Church at the end of the age (1 Cor. 10:11).

We must not be found guilty of using pagan customs and practices to honor Jesus Christ: “Take heed that you not  be ensnared (by Satan).  Do not ask how they worship their gods so that you can do the same for your God.  You must not do for the Lord your God what they do for their gods, for every abominable thing which the Lord hates they have done for their gods ….” (Deut. 12:30,31).

While on earth Jesus spoke about such customs in Mark 7:7 and 8: “Howbeit IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME by substituting the commandments of men for my doctrines.  They set aside the commandment of God and follow the traditions of men ….”  We must not make up our own rules for worshiping the living God.  Jesus said in John 4:24 that we must worship God in TRUTH, which He identified in John 17:17 as THE WORD OF GOD.  There is only one Truth relative to the will of God–His Holy Word.

To do what the heathen do at Christmas is to follow the dictates of Satan–to obey his command to put up and decorate a tree, give gifts to one another, observe the Santa Claus rituals, etc.  Practicing these heathen rituals makes one the servant of the devil.  Paul wrote concerning this Truth: “Do you not know that when you yield yourselves to obey heathen rituals (xmas, easter, etc.), you make yourselves Satan’s servants” (Rom. 6:16).  This is the opposite of the holiness and righteousness required in order to inherit eternal life (vs 22 and 5:21).

Every year we hear expressed the need to “PUT JESUS BACK IN CHRISTMAS.”  The Biblical fact is, JESUS WAS NEVER IN CHRISTMAS.  TO IMPLY THAT HE EVER WAS IS BLASPHEMY AGAINST HIM AND HIS FATHER.  L.J.